Burn
by LillyOfTheValley
Summary: ONE SHOT. Hermione wants to know what it feels like to burn.


Author's Note: This is just an idea that came to me, oddly enough, from the title of a book. This story isn't HBP compatible. THIS IS A ONE SHOT. Sorry, just had to drive that point home. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters.

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Draco Malfoy had done a lot of stupid things in his life. He had believed every word that had come out of his father's mouth. He had strutted about school as if he owned the world and treated everyone like garbage. He had looked down on everyone he felt was lower than him. One of the only truly smart things he had ever done was opened his eyes to the horror of the side he was on and joined the Order of the Phoenix to make friends with the Golden Trio and assist Harry Potter in the good fight, and he almost hadn't done that. But now Draco had gone and done the stupidest thing that he had ever done. He fell in love with Hermione Granger.

Hermione Granger didn't do irrational things. She had always fought the good fight. She kept good grades, graduated at the top of her class, and assisted in the downfall of Lord Voldemort and the Deatheaters. By all accounts she always did the right thing, the rational thing. But now she had done the antithesis of rational things, she had fallen in love with Draco Malfoy.

Neither of them knew how the other felt, and neither had any intention of telling the other. It was only by accident that Hermione found out. They were both working at the Ministry and one day Hermione's boss asked her to take something to Draco's department. Happy to get the break, Hermione headed upstairs to take the papers to the new object of her desires.

Draco's secretary smiled and gave her the usual greeting but told her that Harry was there talking to the boss. Hermione smiled at the thought of getting to see two out of her three favorite people in one day. But she stopped dead when she caught their conversation.

"Have you ever considered telling her how you feel Draco?"

"Of course I have, I'm not completely daft. I always manage to talk myself out of it. She deserves better than me."

"Please Malfoy that's been ages ago. You're not the same person you were at Hogwarts."

"I'll think about it, but I'm not guaranteeing you anything."

"I'm not asking for a guarantee, I'm just saying it's worth a shot. Hermione's a smart woman and she knows better than anyone just how much you've changed.

As the conversation shifted to Quidditch teams and business, Hermione backed away from the door, her mouth open in a little o of surprise.

"I've got to think," she whispered to herself, hands to a suddenly aching head. White as a sheet, she left the papers with Draco's secretary and returned to her office to spend the rest of the day mired in contemplation.

By the time the work day was over Hermione had made up her mind. That night she put on a little black dress and her best 'look at me' heels and apparated to Draco's front door. She fidgeted nervously before she knocked, but the look on his face when he answered was worth a million galleons.

Draco thought he recovered admirably considering he'd had to pull his jaw up off of the floor. "Hermione, you look stunning. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing in particular. Do you mind if I come in?"

He nodded and tried not to goggle as she brushed past him into the house. Traveling into the living room she saw a fire blazing and a novel and glass of wine waiting for his return.

"I didn't mean to interrupt you're quiet evening, but it's really imperative that I tell you something."

The slate grey eyes registered confusion. "Go ahead."

She took a deep breath. "I heard you and Harry talking today." What little color he had in his face drained straight away. "Harry's right, I am a smart woman, smart enough to know that I want to be with you."

A slow grin spread over his face. "I can't tell you how many times I've imagined you telling me that." Then reality crashed against him and his face fell. "But there are reasons I've never told you Hermione."

She threw up her hands. "You think I'm too good for you. That's absolutely ridiculous." She reached out for him and he skirted her touch.

"It's not ridiculous. You're worlds away from what I deserve." He ran his fingers almost violently through his hair in an effort to keep his hands from her. "You're… you're like an angel, and I'm about as close to the fires of hell as you'll ever get."

After the impassioned speech silence fell heavy for a moment but still Hermione closed the distance between them. "Draco…" She reached out for him.

"What are you doing Hermione?"

She rose up on her toes and brought her hands to his shoulders. Before he could stop her she kissed him sweetly. Unable to stop himself, Draco wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, taking them both deeper. When they pulled apart he gazed down at her.

He reached out to brush a wild curl away from her face tenderly. "You know who I am, what I am. Why?

"I wanted to see what happens," she said.

"What happens when?" he asked a bit shakily.

Rather than answer him she kissed him again. When she pulled away she met his gaze unwaveringly.

"What happens when?" he asked again.

She rose up on her toes again to whisper in his ear.

"When angels burn."


End file.
